Veins are blood vessels which return blood to the heart in the circulatory system. Veins are flexible tubes which are divided into compartments by one-way valves. Blood is pumped back to the heart when a skeletal muscle contracts and compresses a compartment, forcing its blood to flow through the valve close to the heart toward the heart and forcing the other valve, the one farther from the heart, to close, allowing no blood to flow away from the heart. A varicose vein is a vein in which at least one valve is destroyed, allowing blood to flow away from the heart.
The pressure on a valve farther from the heart but next to a destroyed valve is greater than the pressure on a valve next to a good valve. The next farther valve fails more quickly. Thus a series of valves can fail, each valve failing more quickly than its predecessor, because the pressure increases on each succeeding valve farther from the heart with the failure of each preceding, closer valve. This pressure that increases as the distance from the heart increases is called a pressure or gravity gradient.
The gradient can be compensated for by a person's standing in a pool of liquid with its specific gravity greater than or equal to that of blood. The gravity gradient of blood within a varicose vein is thus closely matched by the gravity gradient of the liquid. Pressure of the blood is nearly duplicated by the pressure of the liquid. However, a person can tolerate exposure to water for only a few hours.
Venous gradient support garments, often called support hose, are elastic garments wound to duplicate a person's standing in such a liquid. They are tight at the foot and loose at the top. They are used late to try to relieve symptoms of varicose veins and early to try to prevent their occurrence. Two such garments are manufactured by Jobst and Camp.
A sea snake, for example, has its blood pressure balanced by the pressure of its surrounding saltwater, not a strong venous system. Removed from its watery surround and suspended by its head, the sea snake will faint since its blood will flow from its head. Held by its head, a sea snake could have been Aaron's staff.
The pressure-gradient support-garments fail to duplicate the pressure of submersion in water. The garments do not conform to the irregular shapes of the human anatomy the way water will. For example, the material of the garments bridges between the protuberances of the ankle bone and the heel and does not provide pressure to the region below it the way standing in water will. It in fact causes the very problems the use of the support garments is supposed to eliminate: pooling of blood, bleeding from the capillaries and perhaps formation of chronic and often enlarging ulcers.
One invention, such as that taught by U.S. Pat. No. 2,113,253 to Gray, is large, unmanageable (requires the assistance of another to use) restrictive, expensive and of no greater value than bed rest with elevation of the feet above the heart. It severely limits a person's ability to perform normal daily activities.
The present invention is small, manageable, inexpensive and unrestrictive. It allows normal functioning and exercising.